Celtic’s 1967 Quintuple achievement stands alone in European football

Manchester City can clinch an impressive treble tomorrow if they beat Inter Milan to win the Champions League, for the first time.  Pep Guardiola’s side have of course already won the domestic double and are looking to add European footballs biggest prize to complete a wonderful campaign.

Not many sides have achieved the feat of winning their domestic title and cup while being crowned champions of Europe in the same season. Only seven sides hold that accolade. Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Ajax, PSV, and of course Celtic.

25th May 1967: The Celtic team line up before their European Cup Final match against Inter Milan in Lisbon. They went on to win 2-1. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

All are impressive feats and the fact it’s only been done seven times (so far) shows how hard a task it is to accomplish. Manchester City will be aiming to be the eighth team to go alongside those illustrious names, which will be a great personal achievement for Pep himself as he led Barcelona to the same feat in 2009.

Our own club’s achievement in 1967 proudly stands alongside those other famous footballing sides. It’s even more impressive considering we won the domestic treble to go alongside the big cup in the trophy cabinet. Celtic actually won five trophies in total if you count the Glasgow Cup, which was a more important trophy back in 1967 than it is these days as the first teams played in it in that era. That made it a unique Quintuple for Jock Stein’s Celtic!

Another point worth making is that Celtic won the European Cup, or the Champions League as it is now called, at the first time of asking!

Bertie Auld and Armando Picchi  in Lisbon. Photo: imago/Kicker/Metelmann

Celtic’s success in 1967 are sometimes dismissed by the arrogant English, supporters and pundits alike, but it was a terrific achievement and one that is unlikely to be equalled.

Jock Stein’s legendary side took the European game by storm that year and conquered all before them. Eleven men all born within a thirty mile radius became the kings of Europe. The achievement of the legendary Lisbon lions is arguably the best in football history, and is undoubtedly the best achievement in British football, nothing else comes close.

And there’s never been a more one-side European Cup or Champions League final as in Lisbon on 25 May 1967 when the Scottish underdogs took the game to the short odds favourites who managed just four shots in the Celtic goal, one being from the penalty spot.  Compare that to Celtic’s 24 shots on target and 16 shots off target and you start to get the picture..

READ THIS…Celtic’s Fourth Manager (1965-78) – Jock Stein, the man who changed Celtic

JustAnOrdinaryBhoy – follow on Twitter @ordinarybhoy

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About Author

An ordinary everyday Celtic supporters hailing and still residing in Govan in the shadows of the enemy. I’m a season ticket holder. I Witnessed my first Celtic game in 1988 and have attended when I can ever since. Growing up in the 90s I witnessed Celtic at their lowest, and now appreciate the historic success we enjoy today. I enjoy writing about this wonderful football club and hopefully will continue to do so. I’ve always been a keen writer and initially started this a hobby. My ambition is to one day become as good an author as my fellow Celtic Star colleagues.

4 Comments

  1. Though its been achieved 9 times before not 7 or do you mean 7 teams have done it?

  2. Stein was light years ahead of his time, he invented modern day attacking football, with a front four and two attacking full backs he literally had more than half the team bursting forward, supplied by one of the greatest passer’s of a ball in the history of football, the great Bobby Murdoch, that’s how I laugh at all these people claiming that Postecoglu brought a type of football that hadn’t been seen before at Celtic, Stein had done it 50 odd years before him, and more faster and pleasant on the eye than the Australian traitors boring tippy tappy football out from the back, Stein is and will remain as the greatest manager in Celtic’s history.

  3. I don’t remember seeing anyone claim that type of football hadn’t been seen before; but it hasn’t been seen for ages, probably since the centenary year team. Ange did a great job while he was there, and I’m sorry he left, as are you I would guess,from the tone of your post. I would have liked to see him take that team into Europe,a team that had been strengthened, had grown more experienced.
    It’s hard to blame him for going to a bigger league ,though, and Spurs are probably the best fit; a club in turmoil, but with potential in the right hands – sounds familiar, eh? If he does a good job he probably has the chance of a move to a top European (including English) club, do, disappointed as I am, I don’t begrudge him his chance
    I agree with you about Murdy, though. the bes of yhe best,though I imagine wee Bertie might have something to say about it!